Mayawati blames UPA 'misrule' for BSP's poll debacle

NEW DELHI: BSP chief Mayawati, whose party was decimated in last Lok Sabha polls, today blamed it on the "misrule" of the UPA and said the Congress-led coalition would not be sitting in the opposition right now if it had listened to her.

"Misrule of UPA government was responsible for loss to BSP and all its allies. Uttar Pradesh suffered huge electoral losses. Anti-people policy of UPA government was responsible for our loss," Mayawati said in the Rajya Sabha.

Despite having the third-largest share of votes across the country, BSP did not win a single seat, she said.

BSP was extending outside support to the previous UPA government but constesting the elections separately. BSP could not win even a single seat out of 80 seats in its bastion Uttar Pradesh.

The UPA would not be sitting in the opposition had it listened to her party, she said while participating in a debate on a bill to remove legal hurdles in the appointment of former TRAI chief Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Supporting the bill, the BSP supremo said: "I would like to state a few things so that Congress and other parties do not indulge in false propaganda that BSP supported the NDA because of disproportionate assets case against me."

She said any new government either in the Centre or state should have freedom to choose officers to get good results.

There is "no wrong" in getting a bill to remove legal barriers for appointment of a Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, she said.

Mayawati said her party will support the government on all issues which are in the interest of people and will not oppose for the sake of opposition. The party had followed this principle during UPA regime also, she added.